Sheep holding device



Dec. 20, 1966 J. L. POWELL Filed Dec. 22, 1964 SHEEP HOLDING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 38 Fig. 32 f /2 g A: 20 t 32 44 f -/a /6 328 {2 E i 34 V 47 James L. Powell INVENTOR.

BY Wm Dec. 20, 1966 L, POWEL 3,292,590

SHEEP HOLDI NG DEVI CE Filed Dec. 22, 1964 2 Sheets$heet 2 James L. Powell INVENTOR.

United States Patent Office 3,292,590 Patented Dec. 20, 1966 3,292,590 SHEEP HOLDING DEVICE James L. Powell, Elder-ado, Tex. (Box 7, Fort McKavett, Tex. 76841) Filed Dec. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 420,298 2 Claims. (Cl. 119-103) This invention generally relates to new and useful improvements in holding devices particularly although not necessarily for sheep and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, novel means for gently but firmly securing the animal in a position and at an elevation to facilitate marking said animal or performing surgery thereon.

Another highly important object of the present invention is to provide a sheep holding device of the aforementioned character which embodies unique means for releasing the animal and returning it to the ground.

Still another important object is to provide an improved holding device of the character described which will accommodate several animals simultaneously thus greatly speeding up the work when a large number of animals are to be treated.

Other objects are to provide asheep, etc. holding device of the character set forth which is comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, compact, of light weight, portable and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in front elevation of a sheep holding device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view through the device, showing said device in use; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of one of the trays or cradles.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the present invention which has been illustrated comprises a supporting frame or table of suitable tubular metal which is designated generally by reference numeral 6. The frame 6, which also may be of any desired dimensions, is elongated and said frame, in the embodiment shown, includes a pair of front legs 8 and a pair of relatively long, upwardly and forwardly inclined rear legs 10. A horizontal front brace 12 extends between intermediate portions of the legs 8. A substantially similar brace 14 extends between intermediate portions of the rear legs 10. Side or end braces 16 connect the front and rear legs 8 and 10. The braces 16 are adjacent to but spaced below the upper ends of the legs 8 and 10. Forwardly and downwardly inclined top braces 18 extend between the upper ends of the legs 8 and 10. Then, a top brace or bar 20 extends between the upper ends of the rear legs 10.

Extending between the upper portions of the front legs 8 of the frame 6 is a rod or shaft 22. Substantially trough-shaped trays or cradles 14 are mounted for vertical swinging movement on the shaft 22. Each cradle 24 includes a trough which is open at both ends and which includes a bottom 26 and side walls 28. The front end of the bottom 26 is recessed, as indicated at 30.

The side walls 28 comprise outturned segmental flanges 32. Depending arms 34 are afiixed to the forward end portion of the cradle 24 at right angles thereto. The arms 34 are affixed to the side walls 28. Aflixed to the lower ends of the arms 34 is a tube or sleeve 36 which is journaled for rotation on the shaft 22.

Each cradle 24 is provided with a spring biased clamp 38 for securing a sheep or other animal, as indicated at 40, in said cradle. As shown, the animal 40 is placed on its back in the cradle 24. The clamp 38 includes an elongated generally U-sha-pcd frame 42 which engages the animal longitudinally and is straddled by the upstanding front and hind legs of said animal. The legs 44 of the generally U-shaped frame 42 include downwardly right angularly bent end portions 46 having afiixed to their ends a tubular bearing or sleeve 48. The sleeve 48 is journaled for rotation on a rod or shaft 50 which extends between intermediate portions of the arms 34 of the cradle 24. Openings 52 in the arms 34 receive the end portions of the rod or shaft 50.

A downwardly extending arm 54 is afiixed to the sleeve 36. As shown to advantage in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the arm 54 is adapted to abut the brace 12 of the frame structure 6. Aflixed to the sleeve 50 is a downwardly and forwardly extending lever 56. A coil spring 58 is connected to the arm 54 and the lever 56 for yieldingly urging the frame 42 toward clamping position. A yoke or the like 68 is mounted transversely on the forward portion of the frame 42. A pull rod 70 is pivotally connected to the yoke 68 for swinging the frame 42 upwardly against the action of the spring 58,

It will be noted that in the embodiment which has been.

illustrated three of the cradles 24 with the clamps 38 have been shown on the frame structure 6. The free end portions of the cradles 24 normally rest by gravity on the top brace 20 of the frame structure. Reference numeral 72 designates instruments supporting shelves which are removably mounted on the ends of the frame structure 8.

It is thought that the use or operation of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, with the clamp 38 in raised or open position, the animal is placed on its back in the cradle 24 with its head uppermost, as shown. In this connection it will be observed that the construction and arrangement is such that the trough-shaped cradle 24 is forwardly and upwardly inclined. Under the influence of the spring 58, the elongated, generally U-shaped frame 42 of the clamp 38 is engaged longitudinally with the animal between its front and hind legs for firmly holding said animal in the cradle in a position to facilitate the work to be done. It also Will be noted that the clamp 38 is swingable independently of the cradle 24. When the work has been completed the cradle 24 is swung upwardly, rearwardly and then downwardly on the frame structure 6 for lowering the animal to the ground in a substantially upright position from which it may leave the holder without difficulty. Of course, the supporting frame or stand 6 may be of a size to accommodate any desired number of the cradles 24.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A sheep holding device comprising a support stand embodying a pair of front vertical legs, a pair of complemental relatively long rear vertical legs, horizontal brace members securing said paired legs together and defining and providing said support stand, a horizontal shaft extending between and joined at its respective ends to upper portions of said front legs, a cradle for reception of the animal which is to be held and operated on,

branded or otherwise treated, said cradle comprising an elongated trough wihch is unobstructedly open at its forward and rearward ends, said trough being provided at its forward end with a pair of opposed spaced parallel arms secured at their upper ends to coacting component portions of said trough and depending below the bottom of said trough, said arms being provided at lower ends with a sleeve fixed to and spanning the space between the arms, said sleeve providing a bearing and said bearing being journaled for rotation on a cooperating portion of the aforementioned shaft, and means associatively cooperable with the receptacle portion of said trough and component portions of said stand for clamping and retaining a sheep within the confines of said trough when the latter is in an operating position and during which the rearward open end portion of the trough resides atop and is supported in part by an underlying brace embodied in said stand, said positioning and clamping means comprising an elongated substantially U-shaped frame which when in use has its bight portion and companion limb portions confined within the limits of the upstanding flanges of said trough, the limbs of said frame having downbent portions confined to a normal position between the aforementioned depending arms and rigily connected to a sleeve, said sleeve constituting a bearing, an assembling and journaling shaft fixed between said arms, said bearing sleeve being journaled for free rotation on said journaling shaft, an .arcuately shaped yoke bridging the limbs of said U-shaped clamp in a position adjacent to the bight portion thereof and adapted to conformingly arch over and bear down upon the portion of the sheep forwardly of the forward legs of the sheep, an elongated push-pull rod having an eye at one end pivotally connected to a median portion of said yoke and for swinging said clamping frame upwardly, a rigid linearly straight resting against said brace, and a coil spring interposed between and having one end connected with the lower end of said arm and the other end operatively connected with the lower end of said lever.

2. The structure according to claim 1 and wherein said trough is relatively deep and includes an imperforate bottom having longitudinal edges provided with upstanding opposed spaced parallel animal confining flanges, upper forward and rear edge portions of said flanges being provided with outturned segmental auxiliary flanges, the forward end of said bottom being notched out and providing a recess affording access to that portion of the sheep which is intended to register and cooperate there-. with.

References'Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 11,858/33 3/1934 Australia. 18,459/34 7/1935 Australia. 214,414 4/ 1958 Australia. 232,041 1/ 1961 Australia.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Examiner. 

1. A SHEEP HOLDING DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT STAND EMBODYING A PAIR OF FRONT VERTICAL LEGS, A PAIR OF COMPLEMENTAL RELATIVELY LONG REAR VERTICAL LEGS, HORIZONTAL BRACE MEMBERS SECURING SAID PAIRED LEGS TOGETHER AND DEFINING AND PROVIDING SAID SUPPORT STAND, A HORIZONTAL SHAFT EXTENDING BETWEEN AND JOINED AT ITS RESPECTIVE ENDS TO UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID FRONT LEGS, A CRADEL FOR RECEPTION OF THE ANIMAL WHICH IS TO BE HELD AND OPERATED ON, BRANDED OR OTHERWISE TREATED, SAID CRADEL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TROUGH WHICH IS UNOBSTRUCTEDLY OPEN AT ITS FORWARD AND REARWARD ENDS, SADI TROGHT BEING PROVIDED AT ITS FORWARD END WITH A PAIR OF OPPOSED SPACED PARALLEL ARMS SECURED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO COACTING COMPONENT PORTIONS OF SAID TROUGH AND DEPENDING BELOW THE BOTTOM OF SAID TROUGH, SAID ARMS BEING PROVIDED AT LOWER ENDS WITH A SLEEVE FIXED TO AND SPANNING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE ARMS, SAID SLEEVE PROVIDING A BEARING AND SAID BEARING BEING JOURNALED FOR ROTATION ON A COOPERATING PORTION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED SHAFT, AND MEANS ASSOCIATIVELY COOPERABLE WITH THE RECEPTACLE PORTION OF SAID TROUGH AND COMPONENT PORTIONS OF SAID STAND FOR CLAMPING AND RETAINING A SHEEP WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID TROUGH WHEN THE LATTER IS IN AN OPERATING POSITION AND DURING WHICH THE REARWARD OPEN END PORTION OF THE TROUGH RESIDES ATOP AND IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY UNDERLYING BRACE EMBODIED IN SAID STAND, SAID POSITIONING AND CLAMPING MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED FRAME WHICH WHEN IN USE HAS ITS BIGHT PORTION AND COMPANION LIMB PORTIONS CONFINED WITHI N THE LIMITS OF THE UPSTANDING FLANGES OF SAID TROUGH, THE LIMBS OF SAID FRAME HAVING DOWNBENT PORTIONS CONFINED TO A NORMAL POSITION BETWEEN THE AFOREMENTIONED DEPENDING ARMS AND RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO A SLEEVE, SAID SLEEVE CONSTITUTING A BEARING, AN ASSEMBLING AND JOURNALING SHAFT FIXED BETWEEN SAID ARMS, SAID BEARING SLEEVE BEING JOURNALED FOR FREE ROTATION ON SAID JOURNALING SHAFT, AN ARCUATELY SHAPED YOKE BRIDGING THE LIMBS OF SAID U-SHAPED CLAMP IN A POSITION ADJACNET TO THE BIGHT PORTION THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO CONFORMINGLY ARCH OVER AND BEAR DOWN UPON THE PORTION OF THE SHEEP FORWARDLY OF THE FORWARD LEGS OF THE SHEEP, AND ELONGATED PUSH-PULL ROD HAVING AN EYE AT ONE END PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO A MEDIAN PORTION OF SAID YOKE AND FOR SWINGING SAID CLAMPING FRAME UPWARDLY, A RIGID LINEARLY STRAIGHT LEVER HAVING AN UPPER END JOINED TO THE BEARING SLEEVE CARRIED BY THE LIMBS OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CLAMPING FRAME, AND NORMALLY DEPENDING INTO THE STAND IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR LEGS, AN ARM COMPLEMENTAL TO SAID LEVER AND IN A PLANE COMMON WITH SAID LEVER, SAID ARM BEING JOINED RIGIDLY AT ITS UPPER END TO THE FIRST NAMED BEARING SLEEVE AND DEPENDING THEREFROM AND ALSO INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FRONT LEGS, A HORIZONTAL LIMIT STOP BRACE SPANNING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FRONT LEGS, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ARM BRIDGING AND RESTING AGAINST SAID BRACE, AND A COIL SPRING INTERPOSED BETWEEN AND HAVING ONE END CONNECTED WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID ARM AND THE OTHER END OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID LEVER. 